ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Gibbs High School will turn 100 years old in 2027. School leaders are celebrating nearly a century of education by unveiling a new history museum on campus.
The museum features display cases filled with photos, trophies, and school memorabilia.
It includes a brick from the first school building in 1927, when Gibbs High School opened as the city’s first-and-only high school for Black students. Before Gibbs, educational options for St. Pete’s Black population ended after sixth grade.
Photo courtesy of Gibbs High School
The collection also contains a photo of that first building, which had eight classrooms and no electricity. While the school was underfunded and overcrowded in its early years, students and staff persevered.
“It really grew up out of the ashes because we started with so little in 1927,” Dr. Cynthia White said. She graduated Gibbs in 1970 and later returned to the school as a guidance counselor. “Gibbs High School is a part of who I am. Gibbs is where I believe I was molded into the person that I am.”
Gibbs desegregated in 1971, one year after White graduated. In the five decades since, the school has continued to provide opportunities in academics, athletics, and the arts.
The No. 10 jersey worn by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Shaun King. He played at Gibbs. (Spectrum News/Jeff Butera)
“I think there’s so much to be proud of. We have a long, storied history,” Dennis Zuercher said. He graduated Gibbs in 1987 and now teaches at the school.
Zuercher and a group of former teachers established the museum to honor the school’s legacy. The project is already impacting current students like Gibbs senior Amerie Akuffo.
“I do think it’s really important to preserve the history because it does repeat itself,” Akuffo said. “You learn from history — the good and the bad.”
Museum organizers are seeking more Gibbs High School memorabilia for the museum. You can learn more about donating here.
The school’s new history museum. (Spectrum News/Jeff Butera)
